Week in Sports
TOP SPORTING EVENTS: SEPTEMBER 23-OCTOBER 2
UCSB hopes to put on a big show in front of a big crowd Friday night (Sept. 24) at Meredith Field at Harder Stadium. The Gaucho men’s soccer team will face the UCLA Bruins at 7 p.m. After a slow start dropped them out of the national rankings, the Gauchos (2-2-2) started to pick up steam with two wins on the road last weekend and will shoot for their third straight win against the Bruins (4-1-1). The last time they beat UCLA, it was in the 2006 NCAA final at St. Louis. UCSB won 2-1.
For the last three years, UCSB has led the NCAA in soccer attendance, and the students are expected to swell the size of Friday’s crowd. Big West rival Cal Poly threw down the gauntlet last weekend by drawing 8,717 fans to its game against UCLA, a 0-0 tie. It was the 10th largest regular season attendance in NCAA history.
UCSB had the biggest crowd of the 2009 season (10,114) when Indiana visited last year. It ranks sixth on the all-time list. The attendance record at Harder Stadium was 11,214 in 2004 when the Gauchos hosted Virginia Commonwealth in the NCAA quarterfinals. UCSB will be the site of this year’s semifinals and final, the College Cup, on December 10-12.
Local runners can participate in a 5K cross country race at Saturday’s Westmont Invitational. The men’s race starts at 10 a.m. and the women’s at 11 a.m. at Lovik Field.
The popular Carpinteria Triathlon will take place Sunday.
Thursday, September 23
High school girls tennis – San Marcos at Santa Barbara, 2:30 p.m.
High school girls golf – San Marcos at Santa Barbara, Montecito CC, 2:30 p.m.
High school girls volleyball – Laguna Blanca at Bishop Diego, 6 p.m.; Hueneme at Carpinteria, 6 p.m.
Friday, September 24
High school girls tennis – University at Santa Barbara, 3 p.m.
High school football – Lompoc at Dos Pueblos, 7 p.m.; Santa Barbara at Rio Mesa, 7 p.m.; San Marcos at Hueneme, 7 p.m.; Carpinteria at Santa Ynez, 7:30 p.m.
College men’s soccer – UCLA at UCSB, 7 p.m.; Rio Hondo at SBCC, 7 p.m.
Saturday, September 25
High school girls volleyball – Carpinteria Tournament, all day.
High school cross country – Blue Lagoon Meet at UCSB, 9 a.m.
College cross country – Westmont Invitational, Lovik Field, 10 a.m.
High school football (8-man) – Santa Maria Valley Christian Academy at Laguna Blanca, 3 p.m.; Cate at High Desert Academy, 3 p.m.
College football – SBCC at Moorpark, 6 p.m.
High school football – Santa Paula at Bishop Diego, SBCC La Playa Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, September 26
Triathlon – Carpinteria Triathlon (1.5K swim/40K bike/10K run or 0.5K swim/15K bike/5K run), Carpinteria State Beach, 7:30 a.m.
College men’s water polo – UC Irvine at UCSB, 12 p.m.
Monday, September 27
Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon, Harry’s Plaza Café, 12 p.m.
Tuesday, September 28
High school girls tennis – Dos Pueblos at Santa Barbara, 2:30 p.m.
High school girls golf – Dos Pueblos at Santa Barbara, Montecito CC, 2:30 p.m.
High school girls volleyball – San Marcos at Santa Barbara, 6 p.m.; Ventura at Dos Pueblos, 6 p.m.
College women’s volleyball – Bakersfield at SBCC, 6 p.m.; Biola at Westmont, 7 p.m.
College men’s soccer – L.A. Mission at SBCC, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, September 29
College men’s soccer – UCSB at Cal State Fullerton, 7 p.m.
Thursday, September 30
High school girls volleyball – Laguna Blanca at Carpinteria, 5 p.m.; Dos Pueblos at Santa Barbara, 6 p.m.; Buena at San Marcos, 6 p.m.; Oaks Christian at Bishop Diego, 6 p.m.
Friday, October 1
High school cross country – Dos Pueblos Invitational, Shoreline Park, 2:45 p.m.
High school football – Nordhoff at Santa Barbara, 7 p.m.; Rio Mesa at Dos Pueblos, 7 p.m.; San Marcos at Oxnard, 7 p.m.; Carpinteria at Santa Clara, 7 p.m.; Bishop Diego at Fillmore, 7:30 p.m.
College women’s volleyball – Long Beach State at UCSB, Thunderdome, 7 p.m.
College women’s soccer – Moorpark at SBCC, 7 p.m.
Saturday, October 2
College men’s soccer – San Diego Christian at Westmont, 1 p.m.; UC Davis at UCSB, 7 p.m.
College women’s soccer – San Diego Christian at Westmont, 3:30 p.m.
High school football (8-man) – Dunn at Laguna Blanca, 2 p.m.; Christian Life Academy at Cate, 2 p.m.
College football – L.A. Southwest at SBCC, La Playa Stadium, 6 p.m.
College women’s volleyball – Cal State Fullerton at UCSB, Thunderdome, 7 p.m.
